Archive for February, 2013

So I’ve been a 49ers fan since I was a kid growing up in the Bay Area. Who wouldnt’t be a fan when the team consisted of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott and Roger Craig? Of course, I’m excited to see the home team make it to the Super Bowl, but what I’m more excited about is this year’s half time performance by Beyoncé. Now, I’m not a Beyoncé “stan” (obsessed fan), but I must say all the hype and promotion is making me look forward to what Queen Bey will bring to NOLA.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about Beyoncé’s infamous lip-syncing performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at the inauguration. After horrible headlines (Beyoncé-gate…REALLY?!) and hilarious memes (Milli Vanilli comparisons), enough is enough. I think everyone would agree that she gave a great performance and could care less whether she lip-synced or sang live.

So, it’s not surprising that Beyoncé sang the national anthem a cappella during the NFL press conference. With that performance she squashed any doubts of her ability to sing and her love for America. It was just another example “B” being a flawless performer, which I can attest to from witnessing her Roseland Ballroom concert for the album 4 where she was running across the stage and jumping on top of a piano all while belting out song after song (impressive? yes).

That being said, it will be exciting to see what’s in store for Sunday’s game. Will Beyoncé’s performance slay the stage? I’m pretty confident she will give people something to talk about leave them wanting more (oh wait, she’s announcing a tour soon!)–of course. But more importantly, will the Niners bring home their 6th Super Bowl ring (yes…count them!) home to the Bay? My money is on the Red and Gold.

“Where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.” This is known as the Lake Wobegon effect. As a native Minnesotan, Lake Wobegon is a familiar fictional town in Minnesota where NPR host Garrison Keillor reports the News from Lake Wobegon on his weekly radio show. Yet, when the 2013 Canadian Red Bull Crashed Ice team came to St. Paul, MN they practiced their insane skating trickery of 60 mph on this very real, yet enchanted lake.

2013 Red Bull Crashed Ice made a return to The Saint Paul Winter Carnival on January 26. A twisted iced encased obstacle course full of jumps and 90 degree turns attracted almost 200 international competitors and an estimated 115,000 spectators. The St. Paul race kept the native crowd fired up all evening long despite the arctic temperatures that plunged far below freezing and ice-cold winds on what is traditionally the coldest weekend of the year in Minnesota.

Using the St. Paul Cathedral, which has been voted as one of the top 12 most beautiful Cathedral’s in the country as a back drop, the incredible 400 meter ice track was the first time in history that the mayor’s office and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis approved such lighting of its building.

Red Bull’s never-ending extreme entertainment has successfully built its brand and has woken up this sleepy 127th year of The Saint Paul Winter Carnival into a must-see thrill, ultimately making it a “win” for both St. Paul and Red Bull. I take my hat off to them (well, when I step back indoors).

Written by: Kathleen Scovel (Senior Director, New Business Development)